On aesthetic: The kitchen is where people gather the most. Even if you don't cook, you are there every day. You're there opening the refrigerator to get something to drink, you're making coffee, you're washing dishes. The kitchen I specialize in is a modern aesthetic.

On background: I was basically an Army brat. I grew up all over the world. I was born in Korea, and I lived in Germany, Korea again. We moved to the United States when I was 11. I graduated from Fairfield High.

On career: I was a dancer in a band called SRO (Soul Rock Orchestra). I danced with SRO for nine or 10 years. It was MTV-ish. I used to joke that once I got offstage, people didn't recognize me because I had my clothes on.

On retraining: One of the people who would come to our shows was a gentleman called Larry Lowenthal. He asked if I was interested in becoming a design assistant at his kitchen showroom, which was really odd because I don't cook. He has four showrooms called Gilmans Kitchens + Baths.

On rebranding: I had a lot of clients and I didn't want to work in a showroom any longer. I was really very fortunate because it was at a time when the kitchen business was booming, and I had a lot of opportunity. It (Barbra Bright Design) has been going for six years now.

On style: Some of the best kitchens I've designed have been with my friend Sung Kim. They are custom kitchens and he is a fantastic artist. He's Korean American and I'm half Korean, so it's sort of a kimchi connection.

On design tips: Whenever I look at magazines and see barstools, they often don't have backs. That is one of my biggest pet peeves. They look great, but the reality is that if you are going to be eating in that kitchen, get a back on your barstool. You're going to like it. The other thing is I see a lot of open shelving. Think about your bookcases. Dusty, dusty, dusty.

On a dream kitchen: I once saw Liberace's kitchen in a postcard. It's the epitome of the great kitchen to me. He's standing there and his grill is a piano. It has keys on it. It has gold sconces on both sides and he's standing there holding a spatula wearing white pants, white shoes and an apron. He's my ideal client.

On home location: It's in Greenbrae. It's a 1950s ranch house, three-bedroom. I've opened it up. It has lots and lots of color. It's up against a hillside, and because it is, we had a waterfall landscaped from the hillside, coming all the way down into the patio area.

On modernism: My home is very cool, mid-century, with a hint of steam punk and tiki thrown in. There's a bamboo tiki bar, a '60s walnut stereo console, a Noguchi coffee table and several Sputnik lights that look very futuristic.

On her kitchen: It has an alcove for my dog's bed. It's a wood two-tone kitchen, maple with walnut inset drawers, and the handles are shaped like a boomerang. It mimics the mantel of my fireplace, which is also boomerang. The counters are Vetrazzo. That is a concrete with recycled glass. The glass is beer bottles. When people that drink beer come over, they point and say, 'Heineken' or 'Corona.'

On finding clients: I'm a word-of-mouth girl. I've been very fortunate. Wherever my last client was, that's where I'll get my next referral.